


Heart Aflutter

by 200percent_inlove



Category: K-pop, TWICE (Band), iKON (Korea Band)
Genre: Crushes, Cute, F/M, Falling In Love, First Love, Love, Love Confessions, True Love, relationship, relationships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-08
Updated: 2017-10-10
Packaged: 2019-01-10 10:57:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,849
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12297798
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/200percent_inlove/pseuds/200percent_inlove
Summary: It's unfair, the way he makes her feel.





	1. her.

**Author's Note:**

> Two years ago, I shipped iKON and the newly-debuted TWICE super, SUUUUPER hard. Although it's been two years since I've written this (And I've proceeded to ship TWICE with BTS, and of course, iKON with BLACKPINK), there's no doubt that this is STILL one of my most favourite stories to date. :c

There were at least eight billion people in the world right now. Eight billion people – and Kim Dong-Hyuk still chose to be with Myoui Mina, her of all people.

It could be seen as both a blessing, and a curse. This thought runs through her mind on a regular basis, and especially now, where they’re both sitting with their legs crossed on the comfy couch with their hands intertwined as he reads her a chapter from “Pride & Prejudice”.

A blessing, for the way he makes her feel:  Like a princess. No, that’s an understatement. A queen. But a curse, for the way he makes her feel:  For she feels that she can never induce the same heart-fluttering experience in him.

* * *

 

“I hate school,” Mina moaned, her tone growing in annoyance as she buries her head into her Mathematics textbook. It was currently three in the morning; both individuals were clearly in need of dire rest and relaxation, but hey, these two are clear over-achievers. Nothing could stop them from working.

Even if it meant keeping each other company by staying in a 24/7 almost-empty bakery with thick books strewn across the table, two mugs of hot beverages and a plate of doughnuts for nourishment.

Dong-Hyuks’ gaze averts from his own laptop to his girlfriend of six months, an eyebrow raised in amusement. “Now, now, Mina, you know you don’t loathe school.” He points out kindly, reaching his hand across the table to pat her hand gently.

Mina raises her head, her long bangs covering the mischievous glint that she sports at him. “Yes, I do. As I should quote from Natalie Portman, I like learning. Learning is awesome, but I just hate the fact that we have assignments, midterms and finals that induce so much strain on us.”

“Pain is temporary,” He reminds her, pressing a finger towards her aching temple. “GPA is forever.”

“If that were the case, I really wish universities can eradicate GPA completely.”

In response, she sighs and brushes her hair back, only to realize that the loose elastic that kept her ponytail previously intact was now lost to oblivion (In reality, it fell to the ground and she did have the opportunity to pick it up – but was automatically swept up and thrown into the waste bin by the bored cashier at the counter). “Great. I can’t even fail my exam in style.”

He doesn’t say anything. Rather, he gets up from his seat opposite from her and stands behind her. Softly, he gathers her long dark-brown hair and combs through it with his fingers, miraculously releasing the knots that formed from looking down at words and diagrams all day. His simple touch was enough to send chills down her spine, and her heart soaring.

“W-what are you doing?”

“Don’t be so surprised. I have a way with hair. I have quite a bit of practice,” Dong-Hyuk says, chuckling at the evident suspicion in her voice. “I did my sisters’ braids when I was younger. Now, just relax, okay?”

And she did give in to his comforting words. Leaning her head into his chest tiredly, Mina closes her eyes at the soothing sensation as Dong-Hyuk expertly pulls the loose strands towards him, taking care not to accidentally pull too hard. It only lasted several minutes, but it was already enough for Mina to lose the ache in her shoulder blades.    

“See?” Her boyfriend says, smirking in satisfaction at his work. “Now, you’re going to ace that exam fashionably.”

“Thanks, Dong. You’re the best.” She cranes her neck to look at her boyfriend, whom only gazes intently into her bloodshot eyes.

Leaning his head down, he pecks her forehead once, her nose twice and her lips thrice. “Anything for you, princess.” He murmurs against her mouth. And whilst the romantic atmosphere was ruined in part from the waiter whom was pretending to gag (Either in jealousy, or actually from the PDA), the brief moment of physical contact was already enough to keep her heart pounding for the next hour.

* * *

 

 It was supposed to be a casual trip to Los Angeles for the winter holiday that supposedly would have lasted two weeks. It had been fun, stress-free and rather accomplished:  Mina introduced Dong-Hyuk to her parents, whom were nodding in approval at her choice of significant other; he had step foot into the boisterously loud and colourful world of Universal Studios and Disneyland for the very first time; both were able to do some retail therapy.

All appeared to be well, until the moment they landed in South Korea almost at midnight.

Minas’ face was growing more furious by the minute, her normally calm eyes burning with a magnificent rage that terrified the customer service representative before her. “Let me get this straight,” She spits at him with gritted teeth. “You lost our luggage?”

“I-I’m terribly sorry, ma’am,” The balding man attempts to apologize to ease Minas’ wrath to absolutely no avail. On the other hand, his partner seated next to him – a young woman fresh out of university and unprofessionally popping bubble gum in her mouth – only rolls her eyes at the drama unfolding before her as she types something into the computer before her. Her attitude alone was already enough to cause Dong-Hyuk discomfort. “Un-unfortunately, it is not only your belongings that got lost. Amongst you, there are also um, other customers…”

“Do you realize how many priceless things there are?” She hisses at him.  Fresh, salty tears are already beginning to pool in her eyes as flashbacks of cherished moments spent with her loved ones during her holiday played in her mind like a black-and-white silent movie. “Photographs, memories, souvenirs from friends that cannot be replaced:  How are you going to pay this back to me?  You can give me a monetary substitution, but it’s the thought that cannot be – “

“Can’t you shut up already?”

Until the day of his death, Dong-Hyuk would never be able to erase Minas’ pained facial expression from his memory. It looked as if she had been slapped.

The young lady behind the counter only glares at Mina with a malicious glint in her eye. Mina, on the other hand, loses her nerve. Her mouth widens in pure shock. “We get it. You lost your luggage. Boo-hoo, go cry me a river for all I care – oh, look!” The representative squints her beady eyes at Mina, guffawing cruelly. “You already are!”

Sure enough, a tear is already dribbling down her blemish-free face.

Seeing her like this saddens him to no end.

And so, without a single moment of hesitation, Dong-Hyuk immediately jabs his finger at the young ladys’ name-plate, looking completely bewildered.    

“Your mother would have done well to teach you a few manners, So-Jung- _sshi_.” He seethes, eyes narrowing viciously at the girl. “You do not have the right to talk to anyone, especially my girlfriend, for that matter. I’m looking forward to reporting this to your manager.”

With that, Dong-Hyuk interlaces his fingers with Minas’, tugging her along to a somewhat secluded rest area. “B-but, Dong-Hyuk- _ah_! Our things, our – our…” Her call sounds like a pitiful wail, and eventually, he slows his pace to a halt.  

He doesn’t even give Mina another chance to speak, because as soon as she tries, he wraps his strong arms comfortingly around her waist, his hand resting on the small of her back.  The crystal-like tears begin to drop from her eyes and onto his shirt like beads of rain. He doesn’t care, though. “Don’t cry, my dear. Don’t cry.” He coos, doing his best to soothe her. “I’ll buy you bigger and better things. Please, don’t cry. Just…please…”

Eventually, after some coaxing and much-needed hugs were exchanged, Dong-Hyuk instructs Mina to stay put (A fair distance away from the representatives whom were still staring at them, completely flabbergasted). As she makes herself comfortable in the deserted airport – still somewhat upset from the ordeal she had to go through – he hurries to the Seven Eleven and purchases a hot dog with the scant amount of money that he had left in his scruffy wallet, making sure to pile the sausage with a plethora of ketchup.

And whilst he, too, was very hungry, he gives it to her.

“B-but, you didn’t eat anything.” Mina mumbles out of concern, her eyes boring into his own.

Wrapping an arm around her small frame, Dong-Hyuk delivers her with a characteristic smile. “I’m okay.”

“No, you’re not okay,” She disagrees. With the plastic utensils that were provided, she cuts the hot dog in two and passes one half to him. “We’ll share.”

In time, Mina manages to build a bridge over the incident and – stealing a common phrase from Jung-Yeons’ daily vocabulary – ‘get over it’. But, the one thing that will always remain etched in her memory was the way Dong-Hyuk defended her in her direst time of need.

None of her exes had never bothered. Ever. Yet he, the Kim Dong-Hyuk that was a walking embodiment of the stereotypical Mr. Tall, Dark and Handsome, never wasted a second to protect her when she got hurt.

“You got yourself a good thing right there, Mina,” Na-Yeon tells her one day when they venture out into Myeong-Dong for a girls’ day out of shopping and food. The older girl has an appreciative grin on her pretty face, grateful that her dear friend was looked after. “Keep him close, okay?”

She did.

* * *

 

With their university years far behind them, Dong-Hyuk eventually accepts a job offer from Samsung as a biomedical engineer whilst Mina pursues a career as a professional ballerina. And it was also at this point in time where they had – according to Dong-Hyuk, anyway – ‘unlocked’ a significant achievement (“What are you, Dong-Hyuk?” Mina asked her boyfriend cutely. “Still a gamer?”):  They made enough money to purchase an apartment for themselves.

And of course, when a couple live together, the number one basic necessity was food.

So, here the couple was, grocery shopping for the first time. And Mina was slightly nervous – but for what? Perhaps it was because Dong-Hyuk was stocking their entire cart filled with beef slices and steak cuts that she had absolutely no idea how to marinade or cook?  Maybe it was because deep, deep down, she had a fear of crowds that she, herself, was swimming in right now?

In actuality, it was the very fact that they were doing things a married couple would. And whilst the sensation was very, very foreign and somewhat unfamiliar, she liked it. And she liked doing these activities with the one whom was currently looking through one of the aisles for a certain something.    

Catching her eye, Dong-Hyuk gives her a cheeky smile and, with an armful of packages, he walks back towards her and tosses them into the shopping cart.

“What did you get?” She asks, linking her arm with his as they maneuver past an elderly couple arguing over soy sauce and sesame oil.

“I found some Lindt chocolate bars, Oreo cookies and Rice Krispies.” He replies. “Your favourite is the sesame-flavoured one, right?  And the banana split-flavoured Oreos?”

“How did you even know the type of flavour that I liked?” Mina fails to recall the moment when she had mentioned something so insignificant to him – and for Dong-Hyuk to be so precise and meticulous, well, kudos to him, really.

Dong-Hyuk, on the other hand, only laughs at her facial expression. “You look so shocked! Mina,” He continues gently as they await in line to pay for their items. “When we came back from our vacation four years ago, your hand-carry was filled to the brim with junk food and snacks that you can’t find in Korea. Of course I would remember something like that.”

“They’re kind of expensive, though,” She says anxiously when the cashier scans the first package. Mina was about to inform the clerk that she didn’t want them, but Dong-Hyuk automatically intervenes with a curt shake of his head.

“No, you like them,” is his only reply. “So, I’ll get them for you.”

The cashier, a young man named Jackson who looked like he was fresh out of high school, only smirks at Mina. “Your boyfriend is quite the gentleman, miss.”

“…Thank-you.” She wasn’t sure who she was addressing at that point.

The logic was clear and simple. And yet, here Mina was, feeling both touched and guilty at his kind gesture at the same time.

* * *

 

Fast forward another two years, and Mina had finally established herself as a seasoned ballerina in Seoul. As much physical and emotional pain, and mental stress she had to endure from the never-ending drama amongst her fellow colleagues, she realizes it was all worth it when she sees the Hangul letters of her name on the gleaming marquee.

‘MYOUI MINA – CINDERELLA’

Her life-long dream of becoming a princess (Even for a night) had officially come true.

Excitedly hurrying back to her apartment, she is surprised to find Dong-Hyuk at the stove, clad in a pink frilly apron and a crown – a flimsy piece of plastic jewelry – perched on top of his head. When he notices her, he abandons the food altogether and bounds over towards her, engulfing her in the largest hug possible.

“Congratulations, my princess! You did it!” And to match, he, too, presents her with a tiara. Encrusted with fake rubies and emeralds, he places it daintily on her head.

_What a dork._

“I’m surprised you found out even before I told you.” Mina says, chuckling at his silliness as they make themselves comfortable at the dinner table. He had made her favourite that night – omurice with the ‘Myoui Mina’ staple:  Heinz Ketchup.

“Nothing ever slips out of my grasp, Mina,” He replies, his mouth full of ham, peppers and fried rice. “Either way, I’m so proud of you.” With just one look at his face, Minas’ heart is warmed considerably. “When’s the performance date?”

When Mina draws out the crumpled leaflet from her purse and passes it to him, she notices Dong-Hyuks’ grin immediately fading into a thin line.

“What happened?” She’s not sure if she really wants to know what’s wrong.

“I…I have a gala I need to attend that night.”

Mina knows that Dong-Hyuk places great importance upon his job – she understands that, even if she does feel the urge to act bratty and tell him to ignore that event/meeting/whatever the hell it was. Trying her best to maintain enthusiastic, she proclaims, her tone airy and care-free, “You don’t have to come if you can’t make it.” Dong-Hyuk only responds with a raised eyebrow.

“I truly mean it.” She affirms her position on the issue strongly, and gets up from the table to place her plate into the sink. However, that night, when she slips into bed, she cannot help but let a few inaudible sighs escape her lips.

* * *

 

Knowing that Dong-Hyuk won’t be in the audience that evening, the normally cheerful Mina was…not her usual self, to say the least. Sitting alone in her dressing room, she continues to lock and unlock her phone robotically.

She was greeted with a flurry of text and video messages from her family and friends with words of encouragement. She felt loved, she really did.

Unfortunately, the most important person in her life failed to deliver. And that hurt her. A lot.

Glancing at her make-up covered reflection in the mirror, Mina only pats her cheeks gently. _Girl, you can’t let this get to you. He probably wants to call you right now, but he just can’t –_

Too caught up in her thoughts, Mina never hears the choreographer, Ji-Hyo, knock at her door.

It was only until the door creaks open that Mina jumps to a start at the intrusion. Smiling kindly at her, Ji-Hyo says, “You have a visitor.”

The person who walks in causes Mina to let out a frightened gasp.

He opens up his arms welcomingly, and Mina jumps out of her seat and practically collides into him. If her elaborately-done hairstyle fell apart, she didn’t care. If some of the make-up wiped off her face, that didn’t matter either.

Dong-Hyuk was here, his shabby work attire exchanged for a well-fitted black suit and matching tie. And that was all that mattered right here, right now.

“I thought you weren’t going to make it.” She whispers.

“Forget the gala,” He says, snorting. “Your ballet recital is much more important than exchanging a few pleasantries with the higher-ups.”

After he gently pries her away, he presents her with a stunningly beautiful flower bouquet of red roses. “These are for you. I would have given them to you at the end of the show, but…” He smirks. “I couldn’t help myself.”

Just as she was about to reply, a chorus of adorable “Aww’s!” sounds from outside. Opening the door, Mina is absolutely flabbergasted (And bubbling in embarrassment) at the mountain of people crowded outside her dressing room.

“Ji-Ji-Hyo _unni_!  What on Earth…?”

“Your boyfriend is so sweet!” She exclaims with a romantic sigh.

“I agree.” Mina says, nodding. But at the same time, as she watches Dong-Hyuk introduce himself politely to his new-found fan girls, she cannot help but feel a slight pang in her heart.

He has done so much for her throughout the years of being together.

…What did she do in her past life to deserve someone like him? And more importantly, what has _she_ done to reciprocate everything he has given her?

* * *

 

Back in the present day, Dong-Hyuk has already stopped reading. Instead, he observes Mina curiously – and realizes that she was blanking out, or either very much deep in thought.

A gentle prod on the side of her head brings her back to reality. “Hello in there?”

Mina glances at him with an apologetic smile, scratching her scalp awkwardly. “I’m sorry!”

As usual, Dong-Hyuk waves away her unnecessary apology. “No need to be sorry. Jane Austen can be slightly dry at times.” His eyes peer at her with slight concern. “A penny for your thoughts?”

“It was that obvious?” She says meekly.

“We’ve been dating for ten years, Mina,” He states matter-of-factly. “You’re my open book that I can read with my eyes closed.”    

“I’m thinking about you,” She replies him. That captures his attention – he sets the novel down onto his lap. “And…how you increase my chances of experiencing a heart attack.”

“Well, that’s romantic of you.” A wry smile spreads across his handsome, chiseled face. “Shall I order ourselves one of those portable AEDs?”

Again, such a small witty comment – and that was already enough to make her heart palpitate. “That won’t be necessary,” She says, chuckling. But her smile fades as rapidly as it had come. “Dong-Hyuk- _ah_ , let me ask you a question – and please be honest with me.”

Her almond-shaped eyes burn into his own.

“Do I ever do the same for you?”

 


	2. him.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Always."

He’s not sure where a question like that comes from; suffice to say, he’s taken aback. Mina chews on her bottom lip, waiting expectantly for his answer, whilst a billion things whirl through his mind like a violent hurricane.

Like, is she feeling self-conscious about herself and their relationship? Does she feel unwanted, unloved? Or…does she believe that _he_ , himself, is being neglected?

Realizing her insecurity, Dong-Hyuk only presents her with a gentle smile and raises his hand to stroke her radiating cheek gently. With a soft reply, he murmurs, “Always.”

* * *

 

Mina loves holding hands with Dong-Hyuk. From the moment when they first started dating, she loved interlocking her fingers within his grasp, squeezing on occasion just to make sure that they were still linked together whenever they walked through a tightknit crowd.

It’s a freezing winter night in February. He’s waiting for her with his face flushed red; he rushed over from one of his labs (Knowing how Mina was with her lack of tolerance for lateness), but accidentally left his mittens out on his desk. So, to fight the bitter cold, he clenched his fists together, and dug them deep into his pockets with his teeth chattering uncontrollably, making a mental note to text Jun-Hoe later to collect them for him.

Moments later, Mina arrived, wrapping her arms around him tightly as she snuggled into his chest. God, even when it was negative ten, she always looked adorable – especially now that she was bundled up with a thick toque, and a pair of matching mittens. His eyes completely melted at the sight of her pretty face grinning up at him.

That was one thing he loved about her: The fact that she always looked at _him_ like she hit the lottery jackpot. In a way, it made him feel special.

“Where do you want to go today?” She asked.

“Anywhere you want to go.”

They decided to go for _budae jigae_ that night at a popular restaurant in Samcheong-Dong (“Eat Your Kimchi featured it in one of their WANK videos!” She exclaimed excitedly, whilst he only chuckled in response at her obliviousness of the word WANK, itself). But just as they were about to head off for the subway station, Mina stopped walking altogether.

“What’s wrong?” He, who was a few steps ahead of her, glanced back, concerned.

She didn’t even have to think. “Did you forget your gloves today?”

Suddenly bashful, Dong-Hyuk reached out to scratch his head, wincing slightly when an icy chill attacked his unprotected hand. “Um, yeah.” Then, his eyes turned apologetic. “I mean, I know how much you love holding my hands, but perhaps not today?” To appease to her displeasure, he quickly added, “You can link your arms with mine though. By all means, please do so!”

Mina pursed her lips outward into a disappointed pout, but immediately replaced it with a cheerful shake of her head. “That’s fine!” She smiled. “I have a better solution instead.” Skipping towards him, she interlaced her fingers in between his, and tucked their hands back inside his jacket pocket.

“It’s a little bulgy and looks cramped from the outside,” She observed with furrowed eyebrows. He couldn’t help but agree. It gave off the impression like he was hiding huge packets of food or drugs in it. “But this way, you’ll be extra warm and I can still hold hands with you. See? It’s a win-win situation!”  

In utter disbelief, Dong-Hyuk coughed back a snicker and turned his head away from her to restrain from laughing. Only she could pull off something like this without seeming childish – rather, it was endearing to him.         

“What? It’s cold out!” Mina whined cutely. “Just let me do it once, okay?”

“You’re full of _aegyo_ today.” He murmured as they entered into the bustling station.

She giggled in response. “Is it a bad thing?”

He took a glance at the bulge in his right pocket, then back at her expectant eyes. Just as the train slowed to a stop and opened to the crowd of people in front of him, he only tightened his grip around her and earnestly told her, “Not at all, not at all.”

* * *

 

Mina was always the good student. Unlike Dong-Hyuk. Whilst he, too, was smart (As mentioned by his doting girlfriend multiple times in exasperation whenever he pestered her), he didn’t have the methodological attention span to concentrate on one thing only.

Rather, his eyes always darted from the diagrams on his textbook to Mina. Always Mina. He could never tire of her beautiful face. Even with the darkening eye bags due to stress, and the occasional spots of acne that broke out on her chin. That didn’t matter at all.

It was no exception today. He chewed on the eraser tip of his pencil whilst observing Mina intently, his practice test sadly left forgotten on the side of their table in the musty library. Without looking up, she waggled her finger in front of his face. “Don’t even. You have a midterm tomorrow. You need to study.”

So, he tried yet again. But fuck it. He slammed his book shut, and folded his arms underneath his chin. “Can’t help it. I just like you too much.”

Mina sighed, but the corners of her lips were uplifted. She was attempting – with great difficulty – to keep herself from laughing. “Oh, yeah?” With a raised eyebrow, she said with all seriousness that she could muster, “Well, I like you more.”

He threw his eraser at her head playfully. “I like you the most.”

She formed a heart above her head with her arms. “I like you to the moon and back.”

“I like you with all sixty-five million neurons that are sparking away right now in my body.”

 _That was a good one._ Mina had to admit, finally cracking. However, she only looked down at her homework, and then back up at him. “Well,” She began, a red blush creeping onto her cheeks. “I love you.”

And Dong-Hyuks’ eyes widened in absolute shock. His heart was pumping a mile a minute, his brain was failing to make any witty comments or remarks. “I uh – I – “ It’s not like he didn’t want to say anything. In fact, he wanted to scream out that, “ ** _I FEEL THE SAME WAY!_** ”

It’s just that it caught him _off guard._ Wasn’t it normally the man who was supposed to say it first? But he couldn’t deny: He liked this.

Chuckling to herself, Mina leaned across the table and pecked him cutely. “Can’t argue with me now, can you?” Dropping her voice to nothing more than a quiet whisper, she added, “Get back to studying, you silly.”

Study, he did. He received ninety-five percent.

And Mina rewarded him with plenty of cuddles that night, and another “I love you” that sent his heart flying into nirvana.

* * *

 

They were eating breakfast in a quiet café when he popped the question.

She was in the process of chewing her sandwich, but it fell from her hands and back onto the plate with a plop. “What did you say?”

Clearing his throat loudly, he asked her again. “What would you think about moving in together?” The grip he had on his coffee was so strong, he was certain he was going to break the cup.

“Well, um,” Mina stammered, looking away from him. Was she blushing? Or was she embarrassed because he asked her this completely out of the blue? “I mean, I don’t know.”

At that, Dong-Hyuk felt concern bubbling in the pit of his stomach. He didn’t like her half-hearted response. With a raised eyebrow, he muttered, “You don’t…want to?”

Waving her arms around, she shook her head violently. “No, no! Not at all! It’s just that,” Gnawing on her bottom lip, she continued, “It’s just…I have a lot of bad habits. I can’t cook. I always leave grease stains on dishes, so I won’t be able to help you do the dishes. I’ll probably burst out into song every morning, and I know you need your sleep.”

Dong-Hyuk only shot her an incredulous look that soon turned into an amused chortle. “Are you kidding me? You’re worried about _THAT_?”

“And I snore, too.” Mina warned, covering her pretty face with her hands. Peeking out from underneath like a child, she added, “But, if you don’t mind any of those things, I would love to. The fact that I get to wake up next to you every morning and look at your handsome face is what I’ll appreciate the most, Dong-Dong- _ah_.”

He felt his heart melting. “Well, I drool in my sleep. It might get in your hair. You sure you can take that?” He half-joked.

Casting him a wink, she replied, “That is, if you can listen to my high-pitched wailing of ‘Fantastic Baby’.”

Grinning from ear to ear, Dong-Hyuk wrapped his hands around her own. “We’ll go look at apartments tomorrow.” He couldn’t conceal the excitement in his voice. “It’ll be an unlocked achievement of ours!”

“What are you, Dong-Hyuk? Still a gamer?” She laughed airily.

“Maybe,” Narrowing his eyes, he said, “Can we get a PlayStation 4 for our TV, too?”

“So long as you get me ‘GTA V’.”

God damn, he loved Myoui Mina so much.

* * *

 

He was taught by his father that as a man, he should never show his emotions. Stay strong, he advised, for the family. Be brave, daring – and you’ll conquer all challenges without fear.

He thought that he could do it. He really did believe it; but the very thing that tested his resolution happened a few years after he graduated.

It was the most difficult time of his life, hitting him like an unexpected car crash that left every part of him stinging in agonizing pain.

Dong-Hyuk and Mina had just recently celebrated their eighth-year anniversary. He received a promotion, as well as a raise. His sister was also finishing up her last year at Seoul National University as a nursing major, with a job offer waiting for her at the local hospital.

It _seemed_ as if everything in his life was going well.

Until the moment when _it_ happened.

“I’m sorry for your loss.” Said by relatives with vague faces whom flew in from across the country. _Your words aren’t even sincere._ Still, he bowed deeply and shook their hands out of respect.

“If there is anything we can help you with, please let us know.” Murmured by his aunt, who embraced his mother tightly and slipped her a cheque of an undisclosed sum. _As if money would help our situation right now._ _Does she think it can solve all problems?_ Still, he took her aside and wrapped his arms around her, muttering a polite thank-you.

“Our condolences. It must be a very difficult time for you right now.” Said by many on that rainy Sunday afternoon. _No shit, Sherlock._ Still, he watched his mother appreciatively give her thanks to each and every person.

“Dong-Hyuk- _ah_ , stay strong for your mother and sister, okay?” _I’m trying. I really am._ Still, he repeated the advice given by his father many, many years ago. And successfully, he managed to put up the façade that he was doing okay when emotionally, he wasn’t at all.

Wave upon wave of black and white moved past him, leaving behind a completely empty church. His mother and sister had joined the rest of their relatives outside.

Dong-Hyuk let out a heavy sigh, before turning his back towards the wooden cross hammered at the front of the church. “Why, God?” He questioned inaudibly. “Why did you take him away?”

His eyes had seen enough black to last him a lifetime. What once was his favourite colour soon became a shade that reminded him of nothing but endless pain, suffering, agony and sadness. And that very moment when his mother burst into his room hysterically, clutching her chest as she told him his father suffered a heart attack at work. Where resuscitation efforts were useless. Where the surgeons and nurses regrettably informed them outside of the operation room that they couldn’t save him at all.

Seated at the very front was Mina, clad in a black knee-length with her hands folded together on her lap. Dong-Hyuk slid onto the wooden seat beside her, instantly relaxing. With everything happening all at once, the one thing that could calm him – even if it was only for a few minutes – was her presence.

They remained silent for a few moments before she asked somberly, “How are you feeling?” The church echoed in response.

His heart was a messy jumble of emotions; his brain filled with words that he wanted to say, but couldn’t. Dong-Hyuk shrugged in response somewhat lifelessly. At least with Mina, he didn’t have to pretend to be something that he wasn’t. “You know exactly how I’m feeling.”

She bit her quivering lip to restrain herself from letting out a pitiful cry. “I don’t know how to help you.” She whispered sadly, lowering her head. “I feel like I can’t help you at all.” _I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m so sorry._ That was all that she could think about.

“You are. You really are.”

“Your relatives are putting so much pressure on you. You’re only twenty-one this year. How do they expect you to fulfill the responsibility as man of the household?” Her voice was starting to break, and in turn, Dong-Hyuk could feel his own heart shattering again. She gripped onto his arm tightly – so tightly that her knuckles began to turn bone-white.

“I don’t understand why God decided to give you such a big hurdle.” She murmured in disbelief. “I really don’t. So, I may not understand certain things that you’ll have to go through in the upcoming months. But,” She paused and looked up, tears glistening in her round eyes. “I’ll do my best to comfort and support you.”

The crystal-like beads streamed down her cheeks, but even so, she managed to stammer out a few words.

“You’ve worked hard enough, Dong-Hyuk- _ah_. We’ll share this burden together.”

He cracked. All it took was one sentence, and he, too, began to cry in her arms. Despite this, his heart had – at the very least – found solace. With Mina sticking by his side faithfully, whispering sweet nothings into his ear, he would be able to get through this.

It took some time. It took a lot of patience. And for the months following his fathers’ death, Dong-Hyuk lived in constant fear and paranoia that Mina would tire of his behaviour, and that she would contemplate the idea of leaving him for somebody else.

But she never did. She cared for him with a constant smile on her face, radiating positivity everywhere she went. She continued to love him just as much – if not more.  

“You’re lucky to have her.” Yun-Hyeong lamented when the two went out for coffee several months after the funeral. “Cherish her, okay? You don’t meet a girl like her every life you live.”

Yun-Hyeongs’ words couldn’t have rung truer.

* * *

 

“Frankly, every single day of being with you always feels like the first day when we started dating,” Dong-Hyuk explains patiently, an unconscious smile growing on his face as he recalls every precious memory. “The butterflies never left. I still love holding hands with you. I still love hugging you. And my heart still continues to flutter uncontrollably whenever I see you.”

He looks up into her softened eyes. “I’m very fortunate to have a love like this, Mina,” He muses. “And if I’m extra lucky, then, you’ll stay with me until this world ends.”  

It takes Mina a few moments to register what was happening. And although in her mind she had already established a perfect scenario of how she wished to be proposed to, she had to admit that this was much better than her fantastical dream. “Well,” She begins, amused. “How can I say no to you?”

Dong-Hyuk only smirks. “You’re right,” He whispers, snaking his arms around her waist and pulling her atop of him.

“You can’t.”

 


End file.
